Skip to content
MarryPrep
Log inStart

Getting married abroad

Netherlands: how to get married

A summary of the rules, taken from the official pages listed at the bottom. A fact we could not confirm there is left out.

← All countries

This is a summary, not legal advice. Rules change and offices differ: confirm everything with the registry office before you book anything.

Who can marry

  • Minimum age for both partners: 18.[2]
  • Couples of the same sex can marry, on the same conditions as any other couple.[1]

The ceremony

  • A civil wedding is held in public, at the town hall, before the mayor or the civil registrar.[1]
  • Witnesses: 2 to 4, all adults.[1]
  • Both of you appear in person. A wedding by proxy needs the permission of the Minister of Justice.[1]
  • A religious ceremony may only follow the civil one.[1]
  • These rules apply when at least one of you is a Dutch citizen or normally lives in the Netherlands.[1]

Timing

  • Waiting time between filing and the wedding: 14 days.[1]
  • The authority can allow an earlier date for a serious reason.[1]
  • Time to hold the wedding after that: 1 year. After it you file again.[1]

Documents

  • If your foreign partner lives in the Netherlands and comes from outside the EU, you need a statement about their right of residence.[3]
  • Someone living abroad can be asked for a statement that they are not married, legalised so that it is valid in the Netherlands.[3]
  • Depending on the country they come from, foreign documents may also need an apostille or a legalisation.[4]

Left out because we could not confirm it on an official page: fees, who may certify translations, apostille and legalisation rules, couples who both live abroad, the minimum age and its exceptions. Ask the registry office.

Sources

Checked on 21 October 2026 against the pages below.

  1. [1] Burgerlijk Wetboek Boek 1 (wetten.overheid.nl) (page dated 5 July 2025)
  2. [2] Rijksoverheid: Trouwen of geregistreerd partnerschap sluiten
  3. [3] Rijksoverheid: Trouwen in Nederland met een buitenlander
  4. [4] NederlandWereldwijd: Buitenlandse documenten legaliseren

Put the registry office on your list

MarryPrep adds the registration steps to your checklist, counts the days back from your date and reminds you before each deadline.

Create your plan
Netherlands: how to get married | MarryPrep